Living

The first time I openly spoke openly about managing my mental health was on Episode 3 of my podcast “Salted Popcorn with Jenica Leah”. I was completely transparent about my...

"It’s complicated..." is usually a common response to someone asking about relationship status. For me, it’s how I would describe my life with sickle cell, complicated and full of complications...

There can be many challenges that arise when living with a chronic condition. Some may be short-lived, while others may become part of a person’s daily life. One of these...

Sickle cell disease (SCD) can affect sex and intimacy for both men and women. Pain and other physical complications can impact the desire or ability to have sex. Stress and...

COVID has forced the world to slow down, take a pause, and really evaluate the state of our society, of humanity. The lockdowns have made us all do things that...

People with sickle cell disease (SCD) often face high healthcare costs. Paying for care costs from hospital visits, medical procedures, and prescription drugs can be costly. Health insurance in the...

February is a month of celebration. It’s Black History Month, the month of love, and a time to acknowledge the impact of women in medicine. With Valentine’s Day, National Women...

There’s a day to recognize rare diseases like sickle cell disease! In the US, rare diseases are defined as conditions that affect less than 200,000 people. The definition of rare...

We appreciate you taking the time to answer all of our questions. Your responses will help us better understand life with sickle cell. New here? We invite you to explore...

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a group of inherited disorders that affect red blood cells. SCD causes red blood cells to harden and become sticky. Cells also become C-shaped, or...

As a child, I remember getting really excited for snow days. I’d sit in front of my tv waiting for them to announce my school’s closure. I never really liked...

A balanced diet is beneficial for everyone, but it is especially important for people with sickle cell disease (SCD). SCD is linked to low levels of essential nutrients including proteins...

I want to quickly share my experience of being hospitalized during this pandemic. Now let me start this by saying I did not have COVID-19 (thank God), nor did I...

Triggers. I think most people see the word trigger and expect someone to be talking about or showing something violent. But when I say trigger, I mean something that happens...

A challenging aspect of living with sickle cell disease (SCD) can be finding and keeping a job. People with SCD often miss work because of complications or medical appointments. Recurring...

Acute pain and other complications of sickle cell disease (SCD) can be severe. However, this pain is invisible to other people, and explaining what you are feeling may be frustrating...

Whenever I get sick, I find myself analyzing everything I did leading up to my crisis trying to pinpoint the exact cause of my pain. Hoping that maybe I can...

I figured out that things were a lot easier once I accepted my disease. We all know sickle cell is something that you are born with and although there is...

Most women with sickle cell disease (SCD) have safe and healthy pregnancies. However, women with SCD do have a higher risk of having complications during pregnancy. SCD also increases the...

Routine healthcare is an important part of managing sickle cell disease (SCD). Regular care is usually managed by a primary care doctor or hematologist (a doctor who specializes in blood...